1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm
mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischievous
Some of the Weasley’s in particular, of which there are six brothers including mischievous twins Fred and George, could be drawn from those who didn’t quite make the cut as Ron.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 May 2025
Next, Negan saw Annie… and Joshua (whose smile was as mischievous as we’d been told).
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 15 June 2025
View More On the cover, a young Chenier holds a 25-pound accordion the length of his torso, a big, mischievous smile on his face.
—Reya Hart, The Atlantic, 15 June 2025
But Smart, with her mischievous glint and bone-dry delivery, manages to wring laughs from even the most groan-worthy one-liners.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 May 2025
Next, Negan saw Annie… and Joshua (whose smile was as mischievous as we’d been told).
—Charlie Mason, TVLine, 15 June 2025
View More On the cover, a young Chenier holds a 25-pound accordion the length of his torso, a big, mischievous smile on his face.
—Reya Hart, The Atlantic, 15 June 2025
But Smart, with her mischievous glint and bone-dry delivery, manages to wring laughs from even the most groan-worthy one-liners.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
Adjective
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People used to hang iron on their doors to keep fae and other wicked spirits out at night.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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What makes the series so delightful is Osman’s wicked sense of humor, and the empathy suffused throughout.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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In other news, water is wet and the Islanders are naughty.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
21 June 2025
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The Renaissance’s old love language — the naughty puns, the sighs of longing and strategies of seduction, the paeans to the beauty of beloveds masked by fanciful Greek and Latin names — had grown obsolete long before Millay’s time.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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After landing, the most dangerous times, statistically speaking, are takeoff, approach, and initial climb.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
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And the Santa Barbara temblor revealed just how dangerous brick buildings built in that era could be.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Even more recently, Dua Lipa debuted a playful French manicure with white polka dots on black tips, adding even more white spots all-over a couple accent nails.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
5 July 2025
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Ludus refers to playful, game-like love that values fun and avoids deep commitment.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Overall, the recent western drought was at its worst in late 2021, when nearly 94% of the West was in drought, before easing in 2023-24.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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That is not inherently bad and tactical flexibility, particularly during a major tournament, is usually a boon.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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One of the most common and harmful examples is the Social Security Administration phishing scam, which targets unsuspecting individuals with alarming and deceptive messages.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 July 2025
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Avoid charring or cooking over high flames, which can create harmful compounds (like HCAs and PAHs).—
Lauryn Higgins,
Time,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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The others were Dan Lucas, the guitarist, from York, and Taylor Stewart, the drummer, from outside Glasgow—the group’s impish prankster, who has a penchant for choking his mates and kicking them in the balls.—
Nick Paumgarten,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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Fit, tan and still charmingly impish, Sanz met with Billboard over a glass of red wine at Sony’s 5020 Studios in Miami in early May.—
Leila Cobo,
Billboard,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The other four are: Columbus, New Mexico, on July 14 Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on July 21 Del Rio, Texas, on August 18 Laredo, Texas, on September 15 Each reopening will be evaluated for adverse effects before proceeding to the next phase.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
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Then, notify the FDA MedWatch adverse event program.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Video
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine
'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.
Cite this Entry
“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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